Handheld Lightweight Carrier for a Laptop Computer or Similar Item

ABSTRACT

A lightweight carrier is provided for an item such as a laptop computer. The lightweight carrier is substantially open to the elements and while desirable in many intended usages, benefits from a rain jacket stowed in a cavity of the lightweight carrier. Adjusters provide a means for a user to selectively determine a dimension of the lightweight carrier. The lightweight carrier also facilitates the attachment of accessory carriers.

BACKGROUND

Bags, luggage, purses, and other handheld carriers are available to facilitate the transport of a wide variety of items. Many such carriers are general purpose carriers while others are specific to a particular item or group of items. One item that has particularly benefited from carriers is the laptop computer. While small and relatively lightweight, laptop computers have a high value and smooth surfaces, making carrying a laptop, without the benefit of a carrier, a precarious act. This is especially true when a handful of documents or other materials are also being carried.

The use of a full featured laptop bag, with significant padding, ample storage and numerous compartments, is easily justified for more substantial portages, such as via air travel, however shorter portages, such as from a desk to a conference room, often do not justify the use of such a heavy duty carrier.

SUMMARY

In one embodiment, a carrier is disclosed such as for carrying a laptop computer or similarly shaped item(s). The carrier has a folded loop, the fold providing the load bearing surface and the ends of the loop providing handles. A number of rings are attached to the loop to provide lateral support to secure the item being carried over the load bearing surface.

In another embodiment, a concealed rain jacket is provided in a cavity of the carrier. In further embodiments, the rain jacket is stowed between the interior of the one ring elements of the carrier and a cover. In the closed configuration, the cover conceals the rain jacket. In the open configuration, the cover reveals the rain jacket. In a still further embodiment, the rain jacket is attached to the cover such that when the cover is opened, the interior of the rain jacket is revealed and accessible to accept an item to be carried.

Additional embodiments include the incorporation of adjusters to allow a user to define a dimension of the carrier and accessory attachment means for common portage of an accessory item.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates one embodiment of a lightweight carrier;

FIG. 2 illustrates a portion of a lightweight carrier embodiment with a number of adjusters;

FIG. 3 illustrates a portion of a lightweight carrier ring embodiment with a cover;

FIG. 4 and FIG. 5 illustrate another embodiment of a portion of ring of a lightweight carrier with cover;

FIG. 6 illustrates a top view of a lightweight carrier embodiment with cover and rain jacket; and

FIG. 7 illustrates a lightweight carrier embodiment with a laptop utilizing a rain jacket.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Although certain component parts are shown in conjunction with the figures provided herein, other embodiments may implement fewer or more component parts for providing similar function. Figures provided are not necessarily drawn to scale for any one or more elements.

FIG. 1 illustrates one embodiment of lightweight carrier 100. Loop 102 may be oval having a long dimension and a short dimension. Loop 102 is folded at fold 110 along a line substantially parallel to the short dimension. In the embodiment illustrated, loop 102 is folded midway along the long dimension resulting in handles 112 of the same length. In another embodiment, loop 102 is folded a non-midway location resulting in handles of different length (e.g., a handle and a shoulder strap). Fold 110 forms the load bearing surface of lightweight carrier 100. It should be noted that an oval geometry is approximate and may include other geometries whereby one of ordinary skill in the art would generally recognize the shape as an oval in such an application as provided herein. Other geometries may be implemented with substantially the same results. One example of such a similar geometry is a rectangle. Materials such as fabric webbing will not readily maintain such an angular shape on their own, means may be employed to maintain such an angular geometry. For example a rigid handle may be employed to maintain angles or rounded corners and thereby hold loop 102 in a rectangular configuration. Various other irregular geometries may be implemented as little precision in loop 102 geometry is required to produce the same result as an exact geometry. As a result, the term oval refers to all geometries that when implemented to form lightweight carrier 100, result in substantially a folded oval or rectangular configuration of loop 102. It should be further noted that a circle is an oval with similar long and short dimensions as a square is a rectangle with similar long and short dimensions.

FIG. 1 illustrates two rings 104 and 106 attached to loop 102 to provide lateral support for an item placed inside lightweight carrier 100. The number of rings, such as rings 104 and 106, is variously embodied and may be any number greater than zero. Rings 104 and 106 need not be continuous provided they operate provide lateral support for the item.

FIG. 1 illustrates rings 104 and 106 as substantially orthogonal to loop 102 and equidistant from fold 110. Other embodiments may orient one or more rings at various orientations to loop 102, such embodiments may result in a diagonal or “X” appears of lightweight carrier 100. If the loop-ring angle results in the likelihood that an item being carried may not be property constrained, the width of one or more rings may be varied to provide additional lateral stability.

The joining of members, such as ring 104 to loop 102 is provided by attachment 108 (for clarity, only a portion of all attachments 108 are identified). Attachments 108 are variously embodied and include sewing, welding, gluing, or other attachment means known in the art.

In another embodiment, lightweight carrier 100 is provided with accessory attachment means. The accessory attachment means may include rings, straps, hooks, or similar devices. The accessory attachment means may be permanently attached to lightweight carrier 100, such as by sewing, welding, or gluing or temporarily attached, such as by hook-and-loop, snaps, buttons or buckles. Accessory attachment means are variously embodied to accommodate the common portage of accessories such as power cords, network cords, memory storage devices, and secondary electronic devices (e.g., cell phone, music player, PDA, GPS).

One accessory attachment means is a strap affixed to a member of lightweight carrier 100 at one end, a first segment of one component of hook and loop fastener along one portion, and a second segment of the other component of hook and loop fastener along a second portion. A user is then able to bunch a length of cable (e.g., network cable, power cable), wrap the cable in the free portion of the strap and engage the hook and loop faster, thereby securing the cable to lightweight carrier 100. Another accessory attachment means is a pocket affixed to lightweight carrier 100, such as to hold various loose items, such as business cards, coins, currency, writing instruments, and other miscellaneous items.

The structure of lightweight carrier 100 is variously embodied and may be constructed from plastic or natural fiber webbing or a more rigid material such as polyvinyl chloride or metal. One set of embodiments implement strips of nylon, polyester, or polypropylene webbing with ends attached via sewing or fusing to form loop 102 and/or ring 104.

FIG. 2 illustrates a portion of lightweight carrier 100 with a number of adjusters 202. Adjuster 202 allows a user to configure the size of ring 104, such as to narrowly accommodate an item to be carried by lightweight carrier 100. In another embodiment, two adjusters 202A and 202B are provided to allow greater range of sizes and to facilitate symmetry of lightweight carrier 100. Adjusters 202 are illustrated as external to loop 102. In another embodiment, an adjuster is implemented on a ring segment interior to loop 102, thereby selectively configuring the height of a handle portion of loop 102 above ring 104.

In the embodiment illustrated by FIG. 2, adjusters 202 are hook-and-loop fasteners. Other embodiments of adjusters 202 include snaps, buttons, hook-and-rings, buckles, or other means to adjust the length of a strap as may be known in the art.

FIG. 3 illustrates an embodiment of a portion of ring 104 with cover 302. Cover 302 is attached to ring 104 by stitching 308, in other embodiments, other attachment means are utilized (e.g., welding, adhesive). Cavity 306 is thereby formed and is bounded by the portion of ring 104 proximate to cover 302. Opening 304 is formed in cover 302. Opening 304 enables a user to place and retrieve an item in cavity 306. Opening 304 is variously embodied. Opening 304 may be in the center of cover 302, as illustrated, or by omitting a section of stitching 308 such that opening is formed by separating the proximate faces of cover 302 and portion of ring 104. Stitching 308 may be omitted entirely in favor of temporary attachments means, such as hook-and-loop fasteners, snaps, et cetera.

In one embodiment, at least one of ring 104 and cover 302 is deformable such that when the cavity 306 is empty, the volume of the cavity 306 is substantially zero. Upon an item being placed in cavity 306, ring 104 and/or cover 302 are deformed to create cavity 306 and accommodate the item. In another embodiment, ring 104 and cover 302 are not user deformable. In such an embodiment, at least one of ring 104 and cover 302 is formed to provide cavity 306. In one embodiment, of an item utilizing cavity 306 is a rain jacket operable to protect an item to be carried.

FIG. 4 and FIG. 5 illustrate another embodiment of a portion of ring 104 with cover 402 in a closed position. Cover 402 is attached to ring 104 at attachment points 410 and 412. Attachment points 410 and 412 may be permanent (e.g., require destruction of stitching, cutting of cover 402, cutting of ring 104, or similar act to alter), or user detachable (e.g., hook-and-loop, snaps, et cetera). Cover 402 is held to a more exact position relative to ring 104 by optionally implementing a number of user attachment points 404. A user may place cover 402 in a closed position, as illustrated, or in an open position (such as that illustrated by FIG. 6).

For clarity of the embodiments herein, except as identified, cover 402, in the closed position, shall mean an item to be placed into lightweight carrier 100 would be placed interior to ring 104 and adjacent to non-cavity face 414 of cover 402 (as illustrated in FIG. 4 and FIG. 5). Cover 402, in the open position, shall mean an item to be placed into lightweight carrier 100 would be placed interior to ring 104 and adjacent to cavity face 416 of cover 402 (see FIG. 6).

When cover 402 is in the closed position cavity 408 is bounded by cover 402 and a portion of ring 104 proximate to cover 402 and optionally by a number of user attachment points 404. Upon an item being placed in cavity 408, ring 104 and/or cover 402 are deformed to accommodate the item. In another embodiment, ring 104 and cover 402 are not user deformable. In such an embodiment, at least one of ring 104 and cover 402 is formed to provide cavity 408. In one embodiment, an item to be placed in cavity 408 is a rain jacket operable to protect an item to be carried.

In one embodiment attachment points 410 and 412 are determined such that ring 104 and cover 402, forms an opening in lightweight carrier 100 of substantially the same size both when cover 402 is in the open position and in the closed position.

In another embodiment, the location of attachment points 410 and 412 is determined such that ring 104 and cover 402 form dissimilar openings in lightweight carrier 100 when cover 402 is in the open and closed position. In one such an embodiment, a rain jacket stowed in cavity 408 would be unattached or readily detachable from lightweight carrier 100.

Tab 406 may be provided to facilitate a user's opening of cover 402.

FIG. 6 illustrates a top view of lightweight carrier 102, with cover 402 in a mostly open position, with rain jacket 602. Rain jacket 602 may be attached to ring 104 and/or cover 402, to facilitate the act of placing of an item to be carried into rain jacket 602 concurrent with the act placing the item to be carried into lightweight carrier 100.

FIG. 7 illustrates lightweight carrier with a laptop utilizing rain jacket 602. Rain jacket 602 is variously embodied and may incorporate top flap 704 and closure 706. Rain jacket 602 may be permanently or selectively attached to members of lightweight carrier 100, such as cover 402 (see FIG. 6) and/or ring 104. Rain jacket 602 may be minimally attached to lightweight carrier 100, such as by one or two minimal attachment points along ring 104 and/or a cover, such as covers 302 or 402. In other embodiments, rain jacket 602 is attached a more substantial portion of its perimeter in deployed contact with lightweight carrier 100, such as along the length of cavity face 416 of cover 402, the length of a portion of ring 104 adjacent to cover 402, or both. In another embodiment, rain jacket 602 is not attached to light weight carrier 100 at all. And in still another embodiment, attachment is between minimal and entire.

Rain jacket 602 is variously embodied. The composition of rain jacket 602 may be any suitable water proof or water repellant material as may be known in the art. Similarly the configuration may be akin to an envelop, as illustrated in FIG. 7 or other suitable configuration, such as container with a hood, a bag, or bag with a separate closure such flap or drawstring.

Although specific embodiments of the invention have been described and illustrated, the invention is not to be limited to the specific forms or arrangements of parts so described and illustrated. The scope of the invention is to be defined by the claims appended hereto and their equivalents. 

1. A lightweight carrier comprising: a loop, the loop being substantially oval with a long dimension and a short dimension and folded on an axis parallel to the short dimension, the loop further comprising; a handle formed at one end of the long dimension; and a load bearing surface formed at the fold; and a ring attached to the loop and operable to laterally support an item to be carried.
 2. The lightweight carrier of claim 1, further comprising an adjuster operable to selectively determine the length of at least one portion of the lightweight carrier.
 3. The lightweight carrier of claim 1, further comprising: a cover attached to a portion of the lightweight carrier; a cavity partially defined by the cover and portion of the lightweight carrier proximate to the cover; and an opening to the cavity defined by at least one of the cover and the portion of the lightweight carrier proximate to the cover.
 4. The lightweight carrier of claim 3, wherein the opening is further defined by a slit in at least one of the cover and said portion of the lightweight carrier proximate to the cover.
 5. The lightweight carrier of claim 3, wherein the opening is further defined by: the surface of the cover facing the portion of the lightweight carrier proximate to the cover; the surface of the portion of the lightweight carrier proximate to the cover; and two attachment points attaching the cover to the portion of the lightweight carrier proximate to the cover.
 6. The lightweight carrier of claim 3, further comprising user operable closure to selectively attach the cover to the portion of the lightweight carrier proximate to the cover.
 7. The lightweight carrier of claim 3, further comprising a rain jacket operable to be stowed in the cavity.
 8. The lightweight carrier of claim 7, wherein the rain jacket is attached to at least one of the cover and portion of the lightweight carrier proximate to the cover
 9. The lightweight carrier of claim 1, further comprising an accessory attachment member operable to secure an accessory for common portage with the lightweight carrier.
 10. The lightweight carrier of claim 3, further comprising: the cover attached to the portion of the lightweight carrier is attached to the ring; a first carrier opening bounded by (i) the portion of the ring proximate to the cover when the cover is otherwise in a closed position and (ii) the cover in an open position; and a second carrier opening bounded by (i) a portion of the ring not proximate to the cover when the cover is in a closed position and (ii) the cover in a closed position; wherein the first carrier opening and second carrier opening are substantially the same size.
 11. A method of carrying an item, comprising: placing the item in a lightweight carrier to engage the fold of a folded oval of supporting material; providing a lifting force to handles formed at ends of the long axis of the folded oval; and laterally supporting the item over the fold with a ring attached to the folded oval.
 12. The method of claim 11, wherein the step of placing the item in the lightweight carrier further comprises: deploying a rain jacket stowed in a cavity defined partially by a portion of the lightweight carrier; and securing the item to be carried in the rain jacket.
 13. The method of claim 12, wherein the step of securing the item to be carried is performed simultaneously with the step of placing the item in the lightweight carrier.
 14. The method of claim 12, wherein the step of deploying further comprises opening a cover to access the rain jacket stowed in the cavity.
 15. The method of claim 11 wherein the item is a laptop computer.
 16. A lightweight carrier, comprising: a portion of the lightweight carrier; a cover for the portion of the lightweight carrier; a cavity partially defined by the adjacent surfaces of the cover and the portion of the lightweight carrier; and an opening to the cavity partially defined by at least one of the cover and the portion of the lightweight carrier.
 17. The lightweight carrier of claim 16, further comprising a number of user attachment points to selectively secure the cover to the portion of the lightweight carrier.
 18. The lightweight carrier of claim 16, wherein the opening is further defined by a slit through one of the cover and the portion of the lightweight carrier.
 19. The lightweight carrier of claim 16, wherein: the opening is further defined by, the surface of the cover facing the portion of the lightweight carrier; the surface of the portion of the lightweight carrier facing the cover; and two attachment points attaching the cover to the portion of the lightweight carrier.
 20. The lightweight carrier of claim 19, wherein: a first carrier opening bounded by (i) the portion of the lightweight carrier proximate to the cover when the cover is otherwise in a closed position and (ii) the cover in an open position; and a second carrier opening bounded by (i) a portion of the lightweight carrier not proximate to the cover when the cover is in a closed position and (ii) the cover in a closed position; wherein the first carrier opening and second carrier opening are substantially the same size; and a rain jacket operable to accept an item being placed in the lightweight carrier when the cover is in an open position. 